


Day Three Hundred Sixty-Five || Being Bold

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [365]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Team Seven Hinata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22352275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: She's always been the meek one. Being bold just wasn't her style. But her trials and tribulations with team seven have changed her...but have they changed her enough?
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uchiha Sasuke
Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [365]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1235528
Comments: 22
Kudos: 82





	Day Three Hundred Sixty-Five || Being Bold

Of any adjectives one could use to describe Hyūga Hinata...bold is not typically one of them. From the time she was young, she had been a meek, withdrawn, introverted girl who prefered to keep her head down rather than make waves. While several girls in her Academy class through the years would yell and argue and fuss, Hinata always kept her thoughts and opinions to herself, focusing on her coursework and listening to the instructor, Umino Iruka. After all, she had rather heavy expectations riding on her shoulders. She couldn’t afford to squander her focus and risk lowering her grades: something her father was quite critical of.

The first trimester went well, and many students were eager to go home and show off their marks. Some, of course...not so much. While Kiba griped about his lack of participation grade, and Shikamaru shrugged off the note of sleeping in class too much, Hinata was simply happy to have near-perfect marks. Not as high as the class brain Sakura, but good enough for her.

...and hopefully for Hiashi.

Carefully tucking her papers into her bag, she paused as Sakura tried to wheedle Sasuke’s grades from him.

“I bet you got all perfect marks, ne Sasuke-kun?”

Having been grinning widely at his grades, he nonetheless refused to answer, hurrying home to indeed show his father his flawless marks. Hinata watched him go, smiling slightly. She hadn’t really talked to Sasuke yet, but he seemed like a very nice boy.

“Did you pass _any_ parts of class, Naruto?”

Gaze turning back to Sakura, Hinata saw her instead rounding on Naruto, who ducked stubbornly.

“I did fine!”

“With all the times you skip class and interrupt? I doubt it!”

“Leave me alone, Sakura-chan,” the blond muttered, stuffing his results in his pocket and shuffling from the classroom.

Hinata hesitated, part of her wanting to reach out and comfort the boy...but she was too late.

Funny how often she was just a little too far behind.

...not long after that, tragedy struck when the Uchiha were annihilated all in the course of one night. Save for one. The boy in her class, Sasuke. Rumors began to fly, whispers following him wherever he went.

No longer was he the bright boy from the first trimester. Numbed, cold, and distant...Sasuke kept himself cut off from everyone around him.

...she deeply regretted never introducing herself before that day. Another opportunity missed thanks to her hesitation.

The rest of their Academy years passed with little changing. Hinata remained the wallflower, practically friendless as her timid nature kept her from bonding with the other girls. They were too loud, too bright, too bold to bother with someone like her. Naruto was still the class clown, barely scraping his grades by and yet insisting he would someday lead their village. And Sasuke’s stoicism and reclusion was as strong as ever, ignoring his classmates beyond the absolute necessary.

Hinata couldn’t help but admire Naruto’s enthusiasm and refusal to give up. His confidence was like nothing she’d ever really known. Nearly everyone within her clan were quiet, polite people. Not unapologetically clear in their intentions and actions. Something about it was...inspiring, and she couldn’t help but wish to be as sure of herself as he appeared to be.

...then there was Sasuke.

Hinata couldn’t help but feel a sting of second hand embarrassment whenever the other girls pestered him. It was so glaringly obvious that he wanted nothing to do with them or their affections, and yet they persisted. It was...painful to watch. And the attention from them only earned jealousy of the other boys until most of them were at least annoyed with him, if not outright disliked him. They called him cocky and aloof.

...but she never saw him that way.

It was clear something was driving him. His focus was absolute, cutting off anyone and everyone unnecessary from his lessons. Every day after lessons at the Academy, he would leave to the training grounds and practice until late in the evening. Hinata, making a habit of her own solo training sessions, saw him every time she managed to sneak out to the public training area rather than use her clan’s. His training was relentless, and she couldn’t help but be astounded by how far he could push himself. No one else in their class could do what Sasuke could do.

...in a way...she looked up to him, too. But so too did she feel sorry for him.

...he must have been terribly lonely.

And then came the day of their team announcements. All anyone could talk about beforehand was the scandal with Naruto and the scroll he stole...all ending with him being granted a special graduation pass by Iruka! Some of the students were annoyed he circumvented the exams, but Hinata was glad. As goofy as he was, Naruto still tried hard, and deserved to move on to the next phase of his growth as a ninja.

She really wanted to be on his team…!

Nervously fiddling her pencil as she waited, Hinata stared up at the front of the room, wondering who she would be assigned with. Her grades were pretty good, even if she was a little low in the technical aspects. To balance, she’d likely have someone who had good execution of techniques...and then maybe someone else middle ground?

“Team seven!” Iruka then barked. “Uzumaki Naruto!”

Her heart leapt. Now was her chance…!

“Uchiha Sasuke!”

Come on, come on…

“And Hyūga Hinata!”

Pale eyes blinked. She...wait...she did it? She was on his team…?

Not only that, but Sasuke was part of their squad as well.

At the announcement, all of the girls groaned, having lost their chance to be with the Uchiha. He looked entirely nonplussed either way, ignoring Naruto’s baiting taunts about them working together.

At first...things did _not_ go well.

Naruto and Sasuke were constantly at odds. Naruto’s desire to prove himself against his self-proclaimed rival, and Sasuke’s determination to do things on his own meant that there was very little teamwork the day they first trained together with Kakashi. Hinata, too timid to take any initiative, gave her best effort to rally them to...no avail.

Kakashi lectured the boys harshly, noting Hinata’s attempts to bring them together that they both ignored, too dead set on competing with each other to heed her call to work together.

Change was slow to come through their D-ranks, the boys still at one another’s throats. Hinata, put off from interjecting, usually could do little more than watch.

...that changed after the mission to Nami no Kuni.

Being plunged into life or death struggles, feeling the true weight of their teammates’ lives in their hands, all three emerged changed from their first C-rank.

And for a while...things got better. Naruto toned down his taunting. Sasuke cut back on his jabs. Hinata, too, found her voice and began to speak up more, mediating between the two better than before.

It looked like their team was finally turning around.

...then the chūnin exams arrived.

She was nervous. Partially because she still wasn’t sure if she’d grown enough. Naruto and Sasuke had been improving by leaps and bounds. And while Kakashi assured her she too was growing...it didn’t feel like enough. But the three signed on, and there was no going back.

The first exam was simple enough. Hinata with her Byakugan and Sasuke with his Sharingan made quick work of their tests. While Naruto left every question blank on the sheet, he _did_ get the last question right...by the skin of his teeth.

The second exam was where it all went wrong. Targeted for his bloodline, Sasuke’s run-in with Orochimaru saw him marked with some strange jutsu. With both boys left incapacitated, it was up to Hinata to defend them. As Oto drew in and other Konoha teams assisted, it was then she caught sight of her true fear regarding the exams.

Her cousin, Neji.

By the end they passed, if just barely. The preliminaries were unexpected, and only Naruto’s went smoothly. Sasuke, afflicted by his curse mark, was taken by Kakashi to be sealed, and then seen to by the medics.

Hinata...had to face Neji.

This was it, her fear realized. But she wasn’t going to back down. She couldn’t let Naruto and Sasuke down...she couldn’t be the weak link in their team. So she assumed her stance and gave it her all.

...but it still wasn’t enough.

Next thing she knew, she awakened in the hospital, the ache in her chest like a weight. But even worse was the knowledge that she’d failed. Naruto and Sasuke could still advance...but she was out of the running this time around.

With Kakashi taking Sasuke and Jiraiya taking Naruto, Hinata was left to her own devices...with a small suggestion from their sensei.

“You really shouldn’t be training with your heart on the mend. I think...you should shift your focus for a while. I know you’ve been making those poultices for the boys. Why not take an apprenticeship at the hospital while we’re gone? You can still be learning a valuable skill, and let your body rest with something a bit less...intense.”

So...she did as suggested. And even made a new friend as she did so.

The final exam was off to a good start. Naruto managed to beat Neji, and the defeat led to changes both in her cousin, and to an extent, her father. But as Sasuke arrived (in the nick of time) for his fight, the attack from Suna and Oto began. Hinata, her heart still weak, missed the entire attack when her mind faded to black.

...from that moment, everything resolved to change once more.

With Hiruzen’s death, Naruto accompanied Jiraiya to find Tsunade. Hinata kept up her medical training. Sasuke was set to train with Kakashi...when a new threat entered the fray:

Akatsuki. Namely...Sasuke’s elder brother, Itachi.

His confrontation with the other Uchiha left Sasuke beaten and weakened. Hinata’s attempts to help were far from enough. And Naruto chose the exact wrong time to challenge him. The boys fought, Kakashi separated them...and Hinata was left wondering what had happened to her team.

Attempts to talk to Naruto were wasted. He could only go on and on about how Sasuke had changed, how his attitude was grating. He didn’t seem to connect the dots about Itachi.

...so Hinata decides to try talking to Sasuke herself.

But he isn’t at home.

Using her Byakugan, she finds him near one of the village walls, with a pack over his shoulders and a coldness to his aura she flinches from...but doesn’t let stop her.

“Sasuke-kun!”

He stops, turning to find her behind him. “...what are you doing out so late?”

It doesn’t take much to put two and two together. The pack. His walking the one road out of the village.

...he’s leaving.

And for once...Hinata doesn’t back down. Now more than ever, she has to be bold.

“...I could ask you the s-same thing,” she replies, tone soft. “...what do you think you’ll find out there?”

“The strength I can’t find in here.”

“But...Sasu-!”

“I’m tired of being coddled...I’m tired of no one taking me seriously!” His teeth grit. “...for more than five years now, I’ve lived in fear. But also with a constant determination. I’m afraid he’ll kill me before I can kill him. Before I can make this right...and avenge my clan for the massacre he wrought on them. Don’t you get it, Hinata? I _have_ to do this. Konoha isn’t getting me what I want. No one is listening to me…!”

“I’ve been trying to listen,” she counters, taking a step. “But you k-keep so much inside you, Sasuke-kun. I know it can’t be easy, but...we’re - we’re your teammates! We want to help you!”

“All Naruto does is antagonize me...he doesn’t want to help me, he wants to beat me! Prove he’s better! But he doesn’t realize what he’s measuring himself against. I’m not his rival...I’m not just a step on his ladder to the top. I’m someone with a burden to carry that he’ll never understand…”

“...I’m sorry. I know that...that no one can know what you feel. But...is leaving really the answer…? Do you really trust that man more than you trust us?”

“...I trust in his power. Power is what I need, more than anything else. Even more than teammates. More than friends. If I can’t kill my brother, Hinata...then my existence is meaningless. I’ll have failed everyone I ever cared about...who I was too weak to save…! I _have_ to do this.”

Jaw trembling, Hinata fights against the sting of tears in her eyes. “...so you’ll leave us behind…? Just like that? After a-all we’ve been through these past six months...is it really so easy to walk away? Sasuke-kun, I...I care about you. We all do.”

“...everyone here is standing in my way.”

“Even me?”

For the first time...he hesitates. “...no. Not you. You’ve tried to make peace between Naruto and I. And...I have to thank you for that. You’ve been the voice of reason. The one trying to hold this team together. But...I can’t do this anymore, Hinata. Being on team seven isn’t helping me reach my goal. The one purpose I have. I can’t stand idling in it any longer. It’s what I _need_...do you understand?”

For a moment, she stares at him and thinks to challenge him. But then she thinks about her cousin. Her sister. Her clan. About her own need to grow, and how she’s felt stymied as the boys both seem to get stronger. She can blame her weakened heart all she wants, but...in truth, she knows that’s not all that’s holding her back.

...she understands.

Expression wilting in defeat, her head bows. “...I-I do. And...I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun. I’m sorry that...that I held you back.”

“...it’s not your fault.”

“...I’m the weak link -”

“No!” To her honest surprise, he cuts in. “...you heard what I said. You’ve tried hard. Harder than anyone. You’re not weak, Hinata. Far from it. Once your heart heals...you’re going to bounce back even harder. I know it. What you went through in the exams...it made you stronger. But me…? I feel like I got weaker.”

“That’s not true…”

“...either way, Konoha isn’t what I need.” For a moment, he actually looks torn, and steps up closer. “...you’ve been a good teammate, Hinata. A good...a good friend. And…” His speech starts to waver. “...I’ll see you when it’s all over. When Itachi is dead - when I’ve finally done what I’m meant to do - I’ll come back.”

“...you…?”

“...and I expect you to be stronger when I do,” he goes on, and to her surprise, his lips twitch. “Put that knucklehead in his place for me, all right? But...keep an eye on him, too. Don’t let him walk all over you. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“I...I-I won’t...” Her lips tremble, threatening to crack.

“...you’ll be all right.” Reaching out, he lays a hand atop her head, gently ruffling her hair. “...I’ll see you when it’s over.”

Too choked up to reply, she watches him turn around, heading toward the gate. “...p-promise me!” she calls after him, taking half a step forward. “Promise you’ll come back, Uchiha Sasuke!”

Holding an arm out, he lets a thumb lift in a sign of agreement.

Watching him go, she finally dissolves, dropping to her knees and letting sobs rack her frames. All of her efforts to keep them together...to try to make this work...they’ve all failed. She’s still weak. Still useless.

...that has to change.

For a while, she sits and she slowly regathers herself, wiping stubbornly at her cheeks with the cuffs of her coat. Crying isn’t going to solve anything.

Sasuke is going to confront his brother.

Naruto is going to be Hokage.

And Hinata?

...Hinata is going to get stronger, too. Why, she’s still not sure. But she knows where to start.

First thing in the morning...she’s going to talk to Neji.

Time to turn fear into strength.

**Author's Note:**

> First off, sorry for the further delay on this - I had a MUCH busier day yesterday than I intended ^^; I technically got this written last night, but it was so late and I was so tired I wanted to wait to proofread and post. Apologies~
> 
> Anyway...we finish the challenge with some more team seven!Hinata. Which is an AU growing on me quickly. There are other pieces in it but...guh, right now I don't have the time to find them. I WILL, hopefully soon, go through and sort all these and make mini series for connected drabbles on AO3, and a masterpost on Tumblr. It'll just take me some time :'D I know this is more summary than anything, but I haven't had time to properly plot how this would be different, if much at all, from canon. So I tried to sort of gloss over details in favor of addressing the actual prompt at the end. This might end up being one of the things I continue, we'll have to see!
> 
> ...and now, on to the mushy part.
> 
> ...I won't lie, I'm seriously sad this is over. Part of me is having a hard time grasping that, lol - but at the same time, I'm both relieved and proud. Over 560k words, with an average of about 1540 per day. That's...that's a lot, lmao. And the community has been so good to me. I hadn't really ficced for years before starting this, hadn't really been in the SH community for a good long while, and yet y'all welcomed me with open arms. We had one naysayer, and a few visits from g.o.d, but honestly that was nothing compared to the overwhelming support you guys gave me. I appreciate it more than words can say. This year has been a tough one for me, but having this challenge to keep coming back to was important. Coming back to you guys was important. So thank you so much for what you in turn gave ME this year.
> 
> That said, I will be taking a pretty sizeable hiatus from ficcing - not forever, as I want to do more! But the burnout is VERY real, lol. Probably expect at least a few months while I recuperate and plot the fics I want to do in the background. And also taking some time to work on fics outside SH I want to do, and have just been too burnt out to work on.
> 
> If you want to find me elsewhere, I have both AO3 and Tumblr for my OC fic stuff under the username kusunogatari! Be warned it has, uh...some *spicy* content, so keep that in mind xD But I'll be over there working on projects every so often, as I've been heavily neglecting it. And I'll also be on my RP blog kusunokihime.
> 
> Anyway...I feel like I could ramble for ages, and I kinda want to, but I also need to let this project come to a close. Thank you all for sticking with me for the past nearly 13 months now. It's been a blast. 
> 
> If you want (and please note this is NOT me trying to force anyone's hand), I DO have a ko-fi (aka a tip jar) where you can donate to support the author behind this madness - again, it's in NO way necessary, but anyone who WANTS to can donate a few dollars here: ko-fi.com/sylveradrake - I don't expect anyone to, but it's there for anyone who feels like it~
> 
> With that...I guess I'll go ahead and sign off. I hope you all have a lovely day / week / month / forever, and I'll see you down the road for more fics soon!
> 
> Love,
> 
> Sylvie


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